Chapter 216: Stunheim Part 1

Stunheim, located in the northern part of the Empire, was so far away that even with an air carriage, the journey took around ten days.

Because of that, they had to disembark several times to camp along the way, and even now, Jun sat staring blankly into the fire, lost in thought.

It wasn’t anything unusual.

As usual, he was simply reflecting on his magic or thinking about the path the mercenary group would need to take going forward.

That was when something unexpected happened.

“Hrrk…”

From one side, Maya who had been sleeping as usual let out a faint groan.

It was too unsettling to dismiss as just sleep-talking, so he looked over and saw that she was sweating profusely, almost unnaturally so.

What’s going on?

For a moment, Jun considered waking Eleanor, but the answer came from an unexpected source.

– Master…

Illusia?

Illusia who normally never spoke first initiated conversation with Jun.

What is it?

– Master’s friend… is hurting…

Hurting?

What in the world?

There hadn’t been any major battles recently, and up until dinner, Maya had been her usual self, boasting her incredible appetite.

As far as Jun could recall, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

And if there had been something, Eleanor would’ve noticed first.

Just as he was puzzling over how strange it all was, Illusia spoke again.

– It’s different… the connected soul… is in pain…

Connected soul?

What was that supposed to mean?

In any case, if this was a matter involving souls, then Eleanor would probably—

– Master’s friend… the soul connected to her… that one is… in danger…

“……!”

Only then did Jun recall something about Maya.

Or more precisely, he remembered Maya’s storyline from within the game.

That event is happening now?

Indeed, there had been a time in the game when Maya experienced similar symptoms.

Don’t tell me… is this another change caused by me?

A curse nearly slipped from his mouth.

Because Maya’s current condition was not something to be taken lightly.

It’s not like something catastrophic will happen right away. But…

This situation Maya was going through had to be considered a kind of “premonition” that occurred before a major incident broke out.

The problem was that even knowing it was a warning sign didn’t mean he could do anything to prevent it.

If this is related to the Ancestor Worshipping Tribe, then the only connection is that bastard from the Heavenly Church. But I can’t exactly go track him down and kill him right now.

Clicking his tongue, Jun recalled the man in the dark crimson uniform.

That guy was an incredibly powerful opponent. He was strong enough that Jun and his companions would have to be at least level 8 to have any hope of defeating him.

That’s just not realistic.

They had only just reached level 6. Level 8? That was out of the question at this point.

So in the end, there’s no way to stop it right now. In that case… I’d at least like to ease her pain.

But how?

As Jun was lost in thought, Illusia spoke to him again.

– I can… lessen the pain…

You have a way?

– Yes… I just need to put her to sleep…

Jun didn’t say “But she’s already asleep.”

He knew that the dream spirit must mean something else entirely.

And sure enough, when Jun placed the hand wearing Illusia on Maya’s forehead, he immediately felt the spirit begin to exert its power.

Soon after, Maya’s face, which had been twisted in pain, slowly returned to normal, and Jun finally let out a quiet sigh.

It’s nothing but a temporary fix… but still…

At the very least, he had managed to ease her suffering.

But the real problem was far from over. This was only a prelude.

The true issue was a much larger event:

The Great Calamity.

The very reason why Maya, as a character, had such significance in the game. And the massive disaster that was about to unfold.

How quickly the player responded to it would drastically alter the course of the story. And at the same time, it would serve as the trigger for the Heavenly Church’s full-scale operations.

Even in the game, the time and location of the calamity were different each playthrough.

Which meant the loss of countless lives was inevitable. And yet, there was no way to stop it.

I understand that… but damn, this still feels awful.

It had already begun to take shape in his mind. The screams of countless people, and the chaos that would drive them straight into the jaws of death.

“So that’s it, huh? The peaceful days are already over.”

Jun’s expression began to harden.

***

The northern city of Stunheim.

The city was known for its bitterly cold winds, which blew year-round. It boasted a massive population, rightfully earning its title as one of the Empire’s five great arteries.

It wasn’t on the level of the fallen Merdein, but given its connection to the vast northern continent across the sea, its prominence was only natural.

“Now… let’s see…ah, there it is.”

Before long, Jun and his companions arrived in front of the building where the Altas Adventurer Party was staying.

“Pretty fancy building.”

Eleanor whistled as she looked up at the structure ahead.

Jun, standing beside her, responded.

“Well, the Altas Guild is sponsored by the head of House Ron. Since they rule the North, it makes sense they’d get special treatment.”

“Alright then, time to go meet the client.”

“You’re unusually motivated.”

“Of course I am. The request is related to the God of Death, isn’t it?”

It seemed natural for her to show interest, given their connection to the forgotten gods.

“Haha… I’m curious myself. I mean, the Altas Adventurer Guild, of all people…”

Aiden who had long been fascinated by adventurer guilds was sparkling with excitement just as someone opened the building’s door and stepped outside.

“It’s been a while, Jun. I think the last time we met was around this time last year, right?”

Ron Kyler.

Leader of the Altas Adventurer Party.

She greeted them with a warm smile.

***

“First of all, I really appreciate that you agreed to the request, even though we didn’t share much detail up front.”

Kyler’s office, located on the third floor of the building.

Jun sat down with her there and the two started their meeting in private.

“It’s no problem. Everyone in the industry knows how seriously the Altas Party is treating this mission.”

It wasn’t just anyone. They were working under the patronage of House Ron, the very rulers of the North.

Naturally, they would be concerned with secrecy.

“Thank you for understanding. Anyway, to get into the details of the request…as you may have guessed, it involves the God of Death. We’re looking for one of the god’s relics.”

“A relic, huh?”

“The favor I asked of Maya before was also to gain information from the ancient spirits left behind in the temple of that god.”

Apparently, after somehow acquiring the information from Maya, translating it from an ancient language, and going through various trials and errors, they were able to get the information they needed.

“And this is the map we obtained during that process.”

“Hmmm…”

What she showed was an old piece of parchment.

Carefully unrolled as if it might tear at any moment, something faint and shadowy drifted across its surface, outlining the surrounding terrain.

“Is it showing us our current location?”

“No, it’s pointing to where the relic is located.”

“What? But this place is…”

The countless mountain ranges and the paths running through them like blood vessels were terrain Jun found somewhat familiar.

The reason was simple…it was a map of Stunheim.

“It’s pointing to a cave in a nearby mountain from here.”

“…That’s strange. I thought the information about the God of Death came from Blackout? So why is it suddenly pointing to somewhere on the surface…?”

“Who knows. I have no way of finding that out either. The problem is, we found this stone tablet inside the cave where the relic is located.”

What are the chances of something like this…?

Kyler didn’t seem particularly suspicious, but having been tangled in too many incidents already, Jun couldn’t help but wonder…was this really just a coincidence?

Unaware of Jun’s inner thoughts, Kyler naturally handed over a photograph.

“And this is a photo our adventurer party took when we went there. We believe the relic is inside.”

“A gravestone…?”

Jun studied the photo carefully.

“Can you read the inscription on the stone?”

“Hmm. It doesn’t look like an ancient language… but there are parts I can make out here and there.”

“So the rumors were true. You can read ancient texts?”

“Yes, well. But what’s the issue here?”

“According to what our adventuring party has found, the stone tablet contains a kind of spiritual energy. In cases like this, it’s highly likely that both the ancient language and the language of the tribe that worshiped the god are mixed together.”

Only then did Jun start to understand why Kyler hadn’t just called for Maya but had summoned the entire mercenary group.

In the end, the core of this request was to have someone go directly to the site and translate the inscription on the stone tablet with Maya’s help.

“Just to let you know in advance…translation work like this can be dangerous, even to the point of speaking the translated words aloud. So if you prefer, you can write them down instead. Some of the phrases could be perceived as Word Magic.”

“Understood. Then, how do you plan to handle the payment?”

“Translation will likely take a long time, and we can’t expect Maya to stay tied up with us that entire time. Since this may stretch on until the next season, we’ll make sure to fully cover the costs on our end.”

“Hmmm…”

At this point, Jun had no particular reason to refuse.

There were ways to interpret the tablet if necessary…

Whatever the case, Maya had long felt a connection between the Altas Adventurer Party and the Ancestors Worshipping tribe.

Given Maya’s current condition, this was something that absolutely needed to be checked out.

“If that’s the case…yes, I’ll accept.”

“I like how straightforward you are. We’ll send you the full schedule once it’s finalized. Oh, and feel free to stay in the same room you’re in now.”

“Thanks for the consideration.”

Since Jun knew almost nothing about Stunheim’s geography, he had no plans to wander around anyway.

Just as he was about to stand up, Kyler spoke again.

“And we’re expecting some guests to arrive in the next few days. I’m planning to host a banquet that day. If you’re free, how about joining us and gracing the event with your presence?”

“A banquet… I see. Understood.”

***

After finishing the meeting with Jun, Kyler gathered some documents and headed to none other than the Ron family’s grand estate, where her older brother was staying.

As usual, she made her way to the office while being greeted by the household staff. There, she was welcomed by Ron Camillo who had taken the title of count at a relatively young age, in his thirties.

“You’re here. I heard the news already. The White Whale Mercenaries have arrived?”

“That’s right. They showed up earlier than expected.”

“That’s a good thing. We should start wrapping up what we’ve been working on, too.”

“It took quite a while, but we’ve finally gathered all the clues.”

“Yeah… it really did take a while. Our party spent five years tracking it down.”

The Ron family.

Though they were once called the Lords of the North, that reputation was gradually fading.

The reason was none other than the missing family seal.

When the former lord died outside the territory, the family seal vanished along with him.

The problem was that this seal symbolized their authority as the Lords of the North.

With its disappearance, the Ron family’s influence over the other northern lords had significantly declined.

Some might scoff and say it’s just a missing seal, but…

Camillo shook his head as memories of the past surfaced.

A family seal was originally the most effective way to prove a house’s continued legitimacy.

What made it more significant was that it had also been used back when they swore alliances with various bloodlines and clans.

So its loss had dealt a major blow to the family’s image.

Maybe that’s why we’re seeing signs of unrest in various places lately.

In particular, the eastern region still devastated from the war had all but cut off communication.

Even Alcartha from the west, which had shown some willingness to come here, had made no real progress in talks.

Amid all this, voices of discontent were rising among the various northern factions.

To restore what we’ve lost, the seal is absolutely essential.

That was why they needed the relic left behind by the God of Death.

According to the ancient texts they’d found, the relic could briefly bring the soul of the dead back to this world.

We need to awaken Father and find out where the seal is. And also uncover what lies behind his death.

The suspicious circumstances surrounding their father’s death.

Because of that, the Ron family had relied solely on their in-house adventuring party, the Altas Party, to search for the relic left behind by the God of Death. But recently, they had hit a roadblock.

“By the way, the White Whale Mercenaries…what’s your take on their reliability?”

At Camillo’s question, Kyler paused in thought for a moment before responding.

“As you probably already know, the White Whale Mercenaries have been maintaining steady contact with the Imperial Family lately.”

“That’s right.”

“But according to my personal information network, it seems the Imperial Family is preparing for war.”

“War…? At this point?”

“Mhmm. And it doesn’t seem like just any ordinary war.”

Naturally, Camillo leaned forward.

This was shaping up to be a far bigger issue than expected.

It was something that demanded his full attention.